Complete is the best way to describe this guidebook. I wasn't planning on visiting the Marin side but was forced to when the fog in San Francisco made it too cold and wet to enjoy the parks and trails. Marin was in complete sunshine everyday.

This book stands apart from all the rest because it was written by hometown authors who definitely know their turf and didn't mince on destinations, more than any other book on the subject. It mades a good companion with the Lonely Planet San Francisco book. If you like to explore the outdoors on your vacation buy this book. It will keep you entertained as well as busy.

We mountain biked in Marin and along the coast line of San Francisco using this book as our guide. We began our morning ride with misty views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Presidio, then crossed the span and discovered all sorts of cool trails that connected to sunny Mount Tamalpais. This book has very good access information to all the open space area trails and even includes a two page list of places to take my retriever. Packing alot of sports into one volume makes this book very valuable to me.

I have reviewed lots of travel-related guidebooks over the years, so I can say with some authority that the Golden Gate Trailblazer--the third title in the popular Trailblazer series--is a real find. Although I lived for a number of years in the San Francisco/Marin area, I was simply overwhelmed by the amount of new information I learned about this most wonderful place. The choices of hikes, walks, jogs, and off-road (and sometimes on-road) cycling options are simply overwhelming. The "Best of San Francisco and Marin" section thankfully helps to break down all these choices into dozens of useful categories to help you get to where you want to go faster (for example: Short Walks to High Places; Wildflowers; and Raptors and Woodland Birds; Family Rides; Beach Runs; etc.). The "Free Advise and Opinion" section near the back, while only three pages in length, is nothing short of fabulous in dispensing loads of cryptically written, helpful information and side-splitting humor in equal proportions. And the black-and-white photography throughout the book are stunning in creating a visual sense of place (In my view, the quality of the photos sometimes reaches award-winning status--I would certainly love to see enlargements of some of my favorites!). Including hundreds of trail descriptions, jogging paths, and so forth in a book less than 300 pages long is no mean trick. The Sprouts accomplish this by using a consistent, well-organized, yet compact format, well-selected abbreviations, and carefully crafted yet succinct directions. One important note: This is one book where reading the "How to Use This Book" section will be time well spent. The organization of the book works and works well. But the reader will benefit by taking a moment to orient him or herself. And buying a good street map of the area is another essential, as the authors themselves so indicate. Map drawing, especially in the backcountry of Marin County, is a major challenge and the authors were wise to leave that job to the cartographers. With a copy of the Golden Gate Trailblazer and a good street map in hand you will be ready to explore places you may have never even heard of in a lifetime of living in the Bay Area. And if you are first-time visitors you will be thrilled to have so much well-informed guidance in selecting the activity that is just right for you. And, oh yes, a final tip of the hat to the authors for taking the time to include dozens of good ideas for outdoor exploration for those in wheelchairs and parents who opt to push the little one(s) in a baby stroller.

Man I got to disagree with that Maggie persons review totally. This book not only puts down violence and destruction it offers a great solution for solving such problems in our big inner cities in America. Also it has nothing to do with the type of violence of 9-11. So whoever that Maggie was obviously didn't read the book at all. Its a great book with an important message for the world, LOVE one another! A really astounding story and deserved the nomination it got.

Brilliantly portrays a life and place most Americans can only imagine. Beginning to end...a riveting account of one of America's worst urban nightmares.

- Brett Peruzzi, Ebooks Reviews

I couldn't stop turning the pages. This guy is, bar none, one of the best writers in America today, and "Slipping Into Darkness" is simply incredible. Definitely Pulitzer material.

-Cindy Bond; President, Providence Entertainment

J. California Cooper is a very talented writer. I enjoyed the first book,(In Search of Satisfaction), of which I recieved as a gift so much, I had to buy the rest.

Homemade Love is a very good set of stories that I enjoyed very much. I laughed a lot and felt sad. Although the stories are fictitional, they all had a life lesson. The last story "Spooks", was the funniest. I guess she sort of saved the best for last.

I now have all of her books, but I will have to read them slowly to make them last for awhile. Who knows, I may just read them twice.

If you have not read any of her books, you are really missing out.

Heres to J. California Cooper: Much success to the author of such great stories and future ones as well!

This is my favorite book in the world. J California Cooper is my favorite author in the world. The characters in her books have a triumph of the spirit. Her words invite you into the lives of the people in her stories. She captures your heart with real life lessons and common sense. Most of all, I love her honesty. Life is best served warm, with tears, smiles, and truth and she serves it up just right.
The best gift given is that which is a part of you. So, in that spirit, I've given this book away to so many people that I have lost count. Last October I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cooper at a book signing here in New Orleans and she was gracious enough to sign my copies of her books; (I own and have read them all). What a Blessing her words are! Read Homemade Love, and all of her books, and you too will become a fan for life.

I received this book as a graduation gift in 1992 and have read it at least five times since then. This book is a collection of warm, sad, funny, deep stories. Homemade Love is about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. One particular story of a country born and raised man who becomes fascinated with the lights and sights of the big city, teaches the lesson that we often don't know what we have until we don't have it anymore. Yet while teaching this lesson, the story will have you laughing out loud. Other stories have lesson to be learned but do it in such a hilarious and sometimes emotional way that you forget you're learning something in the process.

Superlative investigative reporting, coupled with a riveting narrative, makes for a compelling and remarkable book that keeps the reader turning its pages. The author deftly chronicles the amazing journey of Geronimo Pratt, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Black Panther Party leader, who, in 1970, fell victim to a political power struggle and was incarcerated for a murder that he simply did not commit.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, all affirmatively conspired to bring about this miscarriage of justice through a shameful and colossal abuse of power. Make no bones about it. The author weaves a most convincing indictment of the culpability of these agencies in this matter. It is a shameful episode within the criminal justice system.

Were it not for the concerted efforts of his dedicated legal team, spearheaded by attorneys Stuart Hanlon and Johnnie Cochran, Geronimo Pratt would most likely still be waiting for justice. They stayed the course with him the entire time. It was through their dogged determination that Geromino Pratt's twenty seven year odyssey through the criminal justice system finally came to an end. It was a journey that few would care to make.

This book is a testament to one man's faith in himself and in the truth that ultimately set him free. It is also a testament to the skill of the author in penning such a spellbinding tour de force.

Last Man Standing a book that chronicles the life of Geronimo Pratt is truly a literay masterpiece. The author (Jack Olsen) did an excellent job of taking the reader into the depths of the American justice system. Olsens depiction of the Geronimo Pratt case may allow you to put any remaining thoughts of the O.J trial to rest. Witnessing the pain and sacrifice experienced by Geronimo and his attorneys is truly astonishing. How a man could experience such cruel and unusual punishment and harbor no ill feeling toward those who orchestrated his demise is a testiment to the true character of a man who refused to allow the system to crush his spirit. Last man standing is a book that will keep you up late at night telling yourself that you will read just one more chapter.

I crossed paths with author Jack Olsen a few years ago, when he was researching his book, "Hastened to the Grave: The Gypsy Murder Investigation," about a suspected serial murder case I covered as a reporter. He interviewed me, checked my documents, and came up with many more on his own. I was impressed by his thoroughness, and when I learned he was writing about framed former Black Panther Party leader Geronimo Pratt, I decided to not only pick up the book as a good backgrounder on the case, but to write a profile for my newspaper, The San Jose Mercury News (the piece has yet to be published), about how Pratt's been spending his time as a free man after years behind bars as a political prisoner, convicted wrongfully by a government set-up. Evidence now strongly suggests he was framed because of his radical politics.

A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to Morgan City, LA, Pratt's hometown, to interview him. He's read Olsen's book and said its facts were dead-on, a good testimony of accuracy for a work of non-fiction. I also found no discrepencies when I interviewed other key players.

I live in Oakland, where the Panthers got their start. But the story's chilling message should resonate far beyond my community -- it's a story about how unchecked local and federal police authority corrupt democracy, about judges too frightened of the FBI to carry out their duties, about a man unbent by his time in "the hole" -- a hellish box where Pratt spent eight of his prison years -- and of the selfless lawyers who fought to win his freedom.

Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran of O.J. Simpson fame was one of Pratt's two key lawyers throughout this time. And, even though my belief is that Simpson was guilty, I can see -- after knowing that Cochran had to battle his way through government conspiracies and coverups in the Pratt case -- why he might actually think Simpson was framed.

Great book, important book. And, what the hell, it's also a fun read.

Don't take this wrong, but I read this book expecting it to be alot like 'Tales of the City' novels. They are incredibly entertaining books but light fare reading. This book was amazingly complex. Mr. Maupin wrote about Cadence with such love and respect. I can tell this novel came from alot of heart. I felt as if I knew Cady and was a close friend. She was far from being a victim or pitiful. She was very witty and although she encountered so much pain in her life, she lived life to its fullest.

The ending was utterly heartbreaking. It reminded me a bit of the movie 'The Player'. Where the production staff has a story re-written because they find a persons appearance offensive or objectionable. By the time the filming starts, the entire story changed from what the author ever intended.

I have this book on my shelf and plan on keeping it there. I do not plan on selling it or re-reading it, however, it made such an impression on me. I think I will keep it for a very long time to remind me to appreciate other peoples differences and be grateful for what I do have.

Armistead Maupin is better known for his Tales of the City series, but I liked Maybe the Moon much better. It is a very clever story of a dwarf who played an ET-like character in a movie years ago, and has not been able to advance her career since. (I heard somewhere that the book is actually based on the life of the short person who played inside of ET.) The character development is great, and the story takes some unexpected turns, including a surprise romance, which I found quite satisfying. My favorite books have sadness mixed in with humor, as does this one. I guess this reflects real life. This book is quick to read and thoroughly enjoyable

I had no idea this book was based on a true account of a real person, though I did suspect it because I've read the Tales of the City series and knew that several of those characters were based on Maupin's experiences in his life. When I realized he had written a couple new books beyond the series I was excited and ordered this one right away. What a wonderful surprise to be given a peek inside a world so different from my own! I am 6'2" and have often felt the same way when being repeatedly questioned in my lifetime about my height. Though many may think it's not so unusual to be a woman this tall, I can say that many people like to ask me about it. Though I don't go as far to say I'm questioned nearly as often as Cadence, it was reassuring to hear Maupin's sympathetic story. I felt something so deep when she described climbing the stairs on her hands and knees. What a different world from my own, yet similar in an odd way too.

Maupin's work flows so easily and is a lot of fun to read. I highly reccomend for anyone who wants a laugh and peek into the life of an everyday woman trying to build a career.

BTW, Jillaroo, I live in Michigan too and would love to hear from you. You sound like a really fun person and your review is much better than mine. *smile*

I have read everything Ms Cooper has written and everytime I think she has done her best work she has proven me wrong.I learned a long time ago that reading can take you to new places and sometimes make you understand where you have been. In The Future has a Past I find myself wondering how she knows me so well when we have never met. The stories are real no matter what time or place they are centered around. As in the Matter is Life I related to the stories because I had lived the stories or knew someone who has.From her first novel Family to Wake of the Wind, Ms Cooper has again brought reality to real situations by telling a fiction story. The future has a Past will take you inside yourself and make you think about what life and love means to you. The women have all been friends of mine. Louella in the Filet of Soul makes you look at yourself and wonder how many times have someone told us something about ourselves and we believed it. How many time have you thought of yourself as worthless or unloveable. This book is a great read and the stories are fictional but the characters are so very real. Again I must wait for something even more amazing then The Future has a Past. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Ms. Cooper.

I have completed one of the stories in The Future Has a Past, and I am still reeling at what an amazing story teller this woman (J. California Cooper) is.

Yes, tears did flow a bit after completing her first tale; I have never seen anyone write so simply but with as much feeling as Ms. Cooper does. EVERY tale she relays will cause you to pause for a moment (or two) and think about your life and how you run it. You end up analyzing the way you handle your business--and everyone else's. There is no story without a gentle, yet intensely powerful moral. I love Ms. Cooper, she cares about what she places in her reader's souls; I have never read another author's works that were able to touch me in the way her writing does. She is purely magnificent.

It seems to me that when this lady writes something, it is so good that you feel that possibly, she can't top it, and then she does. J.California Cooper must be one of the most underrated African American writers there is because outside of her fans, you don't hear much about her. But in my opinion, she is one of the best writers out here. Anyone that could take a story and just make you enjoy it as though you enjoy a good meal or a good movie, that is Ms.Cooper. I enjoyed especially "A Filet of Soul". Luella may have had a self-esteem problem, but she sure wasn't a total fool. And in the end, she triumphed. The story about Vinnie and her self-centered children will come next. These stories are about ordinary folks whose life become a bit sweeter or in some instances, worse (like Cool in "The Lost and The Found" though I tend to feel he was set up for his own undoing).And in them, you find a lesson, and feel better for it. I only hope that more would recognize the talent that Ms.Cooper has and read her works. You won't come away disappointed.

Holy Mackeral, what a treat! Silent Echoes author John Bengtson has not only tapped into the passions of Buster Keaton fans but the myriad of film studio/location history buffs as well! His research and sleuthing of this subject, with exacting detail, is so unprecedented that even a non-fan would find his efforts interesting.

Throughout its 130-plus pages Bengtson's book meticulously compares past Keaton filming sites through their modern-day existence by way of extensive use of period maps, location stills, current photos and written text. With photogrammetrist skill he shows us snippets of what had been and what is now. Because of his efforts I've been able to get a better glance of the way Keaton and the industry worked as well as a treasured peek into Hollywood's own photographic past (many of which I've never seen published until now). As one of the ilk that relishes being in the same spot where famous scenes were shot, this book hits the mark in spades for me. I can't wait to get back to LA, book in hand, and run around town looking at each site listed!

John Bengtson has created a whole new genre of books. This book does not just explore the silent comedies of Buster Keaton. It also will allow the silent film fan to explore early Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other early movie locations in California, Arizona, and Oregon. It is amazing how Bengtson has located the buildings that were in the background scenery of Keaton's films. This book is a look at Los Angeles history, as buildings like the College of Dentistry and hotels that were houses of prostitution no longer exist. Now anyone can walk in the steps of the great comedian, Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton was a notorious stickler for detail in all of his film work. Buster's ghost was probably nodding his approval over the shoulder of John Bengtson as he painstakingly researched SILENT ECHOES, a tribute to the Keaton ouevre and a forever-lost Los Angeles. Bengtson juxtaposes stills from Keaton films with photos from modern-day L.A., showing in detail where Keaton filmed, virtually following his trail, from the shorts to the features. This book is a must for both film fans and historians.

"This Pen For Hire" could just as easily be called "This Pun For Hire" because it's a rollicking, laugh-filled mystery by Laura Levine, an L.A. based comedy writer with many hit television programs to her credit. In this, her first novel, she introduces witty and wary Jaine Austin who views life, love, lust and Los Angeles with a practiced albeit jaundiced eye.

Jaine is a writer for hire who has authored everything from libido laced personal ads to ardent vows of true love. This is her daytime job. At night she's out and about searching for her one-and-only in Hollywood's bistros.

Enter a gawking geek, Howard Murdoch, who retains Jaine to write a love letter to Stacy Lawrence, a heart-stopping aerobics instructor whom Howard has never met. Crime comes quickly when Howard discovers Stacy beaten to death with a Thigh Master. The hapless Howard is, of course, fingered for the killing. Jaime is determined to prove his innocence.

Wielding her Bloomies card like a press pass and totally disregarding all obstacles Jaine is hot on the trail of the killer who wants to make a real ghost writer out of her.

"This Pen For Hire" is a fun beach read, and Jaine a likeable heroine. Hope Laura Levine is back at the computer coming up with a second adventure for this dauntless dame.

- Gail Cooke

I really enjoyed this book. I was on vacation and read it in one day, and was sorry when it ended. I hope it's not too long before Ms. Levine graces us with another Jaine Austen mystery. It is a laugh out loud, fun book, and I like the fact that a person who is not really a detective, trying to solve a crime, seems like a person who is not really a detective. Mistakes and all! Read it and enjoy!

This is definitely the book for summer vac reading! Laura Levine's lightly ironic, tongue-in-cheek and witty prose style had me chuckling put loud and completely riveted to the pages. I am definitely keeping this book!

When insurance adjuster, Howard Murdoch, turns up at Jaine Austen's doorstep, hoping to hire her to write a love letter to his aerobics instructor for him, Jaine little expects to find her self entangled in a murder investigation as a result of her letter writing skills! Thirty-something, ex-advertising writer and once married (currently happily divorced) Jaine Austen makes a living writing personal ads and resumes freelance. Her home based business enterprise is actually called THIS PEN FOR HIRE. With some misgivings (but she does have bills to pay after all) Jaine writes Howard's letter for him. She doesn't expect her letter to garner any success, so she's quite surprised when Howard excitedly leaves her a message that the aerobics instructor has agreed to go out with him. Unfortunately everything goes downhill form then on: Howard turns up for his date and finds the woman dead. The police arrest Howard for the crime. But Jaine doesn't believe that Howard killed her. And feeling guilty for the part she played in this mess, Jaine starts digging around, hoping to find evidence of Howard's innocence, and clues as to the real murderer's identity. Unexpectedly, Jaine discovers that she is actually having the time of her life playing detective -- that is until someone begins to find her sleuthing not at all to his/her liking and starts taking steps to discourage her from carrying on with her quest to free Howard...

I liked "This Pen for Hire" for so many reasons, not least of which was that Jaine's (the detecting heroine of this book) cat, Prozac, bore a starling resemblance to both my cats in its ability to inhale food all the time. But I suppose what I liked best about this novel, aside from it's totally engaging and amusing prose style, was Laura Levine's realistic take at how an amateur sleuth might go about trying to uncover the truth. It's not easy being a detective, and the authour shows this. The mystery novel unfolded at a brisk, easy and smooth pace, making this a truly fun and enjoyable read. I enjoyed her descriptions of L.A. and the breezy manner with which she gently poked fun at the lifestyles that some people in L.A. lead. As for the series heroine, Jaine Austen, I found her to be a completely appealing and charming character. Take my word for it: "This Pen for Hire" is the first book in a series that promises to be amusing and interesting. Either buy or borrow this book from you local library at once. You won't regret it.

(One caveat though: for some reason the cover jacket portrays Jaine as a svelte young woman. With this picture in mind, I was rather thrown when I came across a description of Jaine somewhere in chapter 7. She's not large, but she's not a dress size 2 either. And I wondered why the dustjacket portrayed her as such? Perhaps it was artistic license or some kind of art style that makes everyone look like stick figures. But I would have preferred it if the Jaine described in the book had been portrayed on the dustjacket instead.)

I am 16 years old and books that I usually read are about how the murder was done and the whole "whodunit" thing, so this book surprised me because I didnt expect to like it that much beacuse I found out who the killer was in the beginning of the book. It is one of my favoite books now!! The whole book was great and I thought I knew what was going to happen and it was surprising to find out what was really going on. I would highly recommend this book!! E-mail me if you know of any books that you woule recommend to me!!

Thom Racina has written the most exciting thriller I have ever read. Maybe it is his soap opera background that made his writing of this book so compelling. I lived through this book like no other I read before or since. I thought in the beginning that if I knew "whodunit" up front, where would be the mystery, the intrigue? No need to worry about that! Racina made it easy for me to slip into Julia's role and feel what she felt. This really gave mixed feelings to her relationship with Matt, knowing what I knew but she didn't. The ending was a heart stopper - and perfect. His handling of Maggie's heroism showed his sensitivity to animals. I wish he would write more like Snow Angel.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was a fast read that I had a hard time putting down. I usually like to be suprised at who the killer is at the end, but that didn't really matter to me with this one. It was still a great story even though you know "who did it" from the beginning. I highly recommend it.

Some enterprising publisher of lapsed titles--perhaps Dalkey Archives or someplace similar--should publish a new edition posthaste. "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" is a walloping good read, full of excitement, humor, and vivid characters. In places it reads as if Mark Twain and Henry Fielding had put their heads together for a collaboration. Robert Lewis Taylor wrote several books about teenage boys coming of age on the frontier, but "Jaimie McPheeters" was the first and by far the best.

This is a touching, funny epic story of a boy's travels across the Wild West. It has remained on my personal list of favorite books since I first read it nearly 20 years ago. I promise I will buy the first fifty reissued copies to give as gifts.....men, women, young and old would love it. But don't take my word for it; it won a Pulitzer!

I was fortunate to stumble across this book in our local used bookstore. My children and I read it together and absolutely loved it. The children think it is much better than any of the books their schools have required them to read. It is exciting, insightful, educational, and mostly just fun. Read this book!